


Skating is infinite, can we be too?

by NetNet_In_A_Sweater



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Coming Out, Episode 9 Rewrite, Episode 9 therapy, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sleepovers, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 14:34:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30040167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NetNet_In_A_Sweater/pseuds/NetNet_In_A_Sweater
Summary: He needed to see him. It didn’t matter if Cherry and Adam were neck and neck or that the crowd was blaring back and forth or that people were still congratulating him on his win. What mattered was that Reki was there.And Langa needed him.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------After days of being separated, Langa catches wind of what's been going on with Reki and gets injured trying to stop it. As a result, Reki is forced to tend to his wounds. In this single moment, you'd think it would be the perfect time to patch things up right? But no. In the heat of the moment, Langa confesses and only pushes Reki away further. They say time heals all wound but how much time is too much?
Relationships: Chinen Miya & Hasegawa Langa, Chinen Miya & Kyan Reki, Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki
Comments: 9
Kudos: 180





	Skating is infinite, can we be too?

He needed to see him. It didn’t matter if Cherry and Adam were neck and neck or that the crowd was blaring back and forth or that people were still congratulating him on his win. What mattered was that Reki was there.

And Langa needed him.

“Have you seen Reki?” he asked a group of girls with pink flower hairpins. When they said no, he darted to a herd of boys and asked the same question, “Where’s Reki?”

Again and again he played at this, asking group after group but receiving the same cold, “No,” every time. He almost became used to it, expecting them to reject him whenever he asked.

After centuries of asking and asking and asking, Langa pressed his back against a tree and huddled himself between his knees. He clutched his broken board and held it to his chest. 

Tracing his fingers over the yeti mascot on its bottom, Reki flashed in his head. He saw Reki stand on a chair and thrust his hands to the sky as clear as if they were together. The words, ‘Skating is infinite,’ echoed in his mind. 

Reki’s smile, unyielding passion, sparkling eyes, all of him. All of him filled Langa with warmth, like a second sun in his heart. 

And he needed that warmth more than ever.

Tears dripped onto his board, its tiny yeti with a lost arm. Sniffles drowned in the sea of cheers and cries from the rest of S. As fans cheered for Cherry or Adam, Langa muttered to himself, “Reki, where are you? I miss you.” He played their fight over and over again in his head, trying to come up with something new, but no matter what, he only saw Reki running away.

As he stewed in himself, Crude voices snickered behind him. “Hey did you see that red-haired kid?” a guy said. Langa stepped out to see a group of boys in obnoxiously vibrant sweaters huddled around a tablet.

“What was his name again?” a second asked.

One of them scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Oh, _that guy_. SNOW’s sidekick?”

Langa flinched. _Sidekick?_ To him, Reki was the furthest thing from a sidekick, so how did S see him that way? He leaned in closer, peeking through some bushes.

“I haven’t seen that lowlife in days.”

“I know right. Where did he even get the audacity to hang around SNOW like that? It’s not like he’s skilled enough to balance with him.”

As the boys continued to laugh and mock, Langa’s throat clenched. The leaves scraping his skin turned numb and the yelling from the crowd became white noise. 

_Reki… he heard all of this._ All of Reki’s reactions made sense now. The distance, the ignoring, the skipping lunch, all of it. How long did Reki hear these words? How long did Reki hold it in until he blew up in Langa’s face? And how long did Langa just stand by and let it happen? 

Hearing those boys slander Reki, as if he were nothing, was the last straw.

Langa stepped out of the bushes, gripping his broken skateboard so hard it cracked. “Hey,” he boomed, his voice lower than he expected.

The boys straightened their backs and turned around with smiles on their faces. “Oh, it’s SNOW!” one said with a smile.

Langa raised his skateboard and glared. “If you don’t mind me asking, I have some questions about Reki. You know, my best friend?”

The cheers of S twisted his stomach when they used to fill it with butterflies. A chill blew through Reki’s thin sweater. His steps scrapped against the gravel, highlighted by passing cars in the distance. Up ahead stood two guards by a grate. His S pin sat in his right hand, Reki ready to pull it out whenever.

“Excuse me?” he called the guard.

“Yeah?” The guard crossed his arms and huffed at Reki. “What do you want, kid?”

Reki pulled out the pin. “I want to give up my rights to go to S.”

The guard’s eyes widened. “Are you sure, kid? If we do, it’s gonna be almost impossible to get back in and-”

“I’m sure!” he yelled. “It’s just. I don’t fit in here anymore,” he reached out to the guard, “so I might as well stop now.”

Before the pin could drop, a small group ran in. “Did you hear what happened? SNOW got into a fight!”

Reki flinched and followed them with his gaze. “Langa!”

The guard adjusted his hat. “Are you sure you still wanna give in your S badge?”

“I…” He tried to reach out again, but the image of Langa, knocked out and bloody, sent him back. He shoved the pin back into his pocket and darted back. “Damn it!”

He ran all the back to the top of S. Despite his burning lungs and searing calves; he didn’t stop for a second to catch his breath. Every time he wanted to stop, he thought about Langa getting hurt. That was enough to push him forward. 

When he got near the top, he didn’t need to look for Langa. The crowd bulging near the middle of the track was enough. With so many people, Reki could barely see what was happening, save for waves of blue hair thrashing about. 

“You shouldn’t pick fights you can’t win, SNOW,” a man said, followed by a distinct _WHACK!_ The crowd groaned and flinched, only fuelling Reki’s paranoia.

But what Langa said in return cast that all out.

“I won’t!” Langa yelled through a wet cough. “Not until you take back what you said about Reki!”

Something burbled in Reki’s chest. Something warm and cold at the same time. It spread to his fingers and toes, building up like a ticking time bomb. Whatever was inside him burst and he stomped the ground. With a deep breath, he clenched his fists and yelled, “LANGAAAAA!”

His yell echoed through the mine. The crowd turned around and stepped aside, opening a path leading to another man holding Langa by the collar. When Langa turned around, his face was bruised. He had cuts on his cheek, neck, and lip. His nose was bleeding too. Despite all of that, when he looked at Reki, his eyes lit up. 

He pushed the man off and darted to Reki. “Reki! You came back!” Langa skipped to him with his arms stretched out, but before he could give Reki a hug, Reki blocked him with his hand.

“Langa…” Reki looked at Langa’s injuries and then the man he was just fighting, “what the hell were you just doing?”

Langa pouted. “Nothing, I just… he said something about you and I got mad and… yeah.” He rubbed his arm as if he were getting scolded by a teacher.

Reki sighed. “Geez. Come on.” He turned around, beckoning Langa with his shoulder. “You took your scooter, right? I’ll drive you home.”

“Oh, uh… yeah.” Langa trailed behind Reki, being sure to keep a short distance between them. He wanted to get closer, but Reki’s tense aura stopped him. The only time he closed that distance was when they reached Langa’s scooter. 

Between Reki’s lessons for Langa, Langa taught him how to drive his scooter. Sure he didn’t have a license but then again they skateboarded together in an illegal underground area so legality wasn’t something they were too concerned about. 

Reki revved it up and drove them both down the hill. Even though the night wind stung Langa’s cuts, he only felt Reki’s warmth. “I’m glad you came tonight, Reki.”

Reki said nothing. He turned corner after corner, letting the wind speak for him.

When he pulled up to Langa’s house, he stopped, keeping the engine revving. “Get off,” Reki said. His voice strained as if he were holding something back.

Langa listened and gave Reki his helmet as he took off his own. Reki shut off the scooter and gave Langa the keys to it. “Here. I’ll walk the rest of the way home so you just focus on patching yourself up.”

“What?”

“I said I’m going home. See ya at school tomorrow.” Reki flipped his hood on and dug his hands into the pocket of his sweater. 

“Reki wait!” Langa grabbed Reki’s shoulder. “We…” he swallowed as if the words he wanted to say were one giant pill.

“We what?” Reki asked, his voice getting harsher.

Langa grabbed his chest and flipped Reki around. “We need to talk!”

“A-About what?” Reki turned away, but his body stayed facing Langa.

“About us.”

Reki shook his head. “I… I have nothing to say to you.”

“But I have so many things to say to you. So please, at least hear me out?”

Reki looked Langa in the eyes. It wasn’t the puppy dog eyes drawing him in, but instead the blood staining his skin. Seeing them, Reki sighed. “Fine. But let’s get you patched up first.”

The two boys slowly opened the door and crept to Langa’s room. When they got to it, Reki turned on the light. It was the same size as Reki’s but with less clutter, making it feel bigger. His walls were a similar shade of blue to Langa’s hair. It smelled a bit like blueberries.

“Do you have a first aid kit in here?” Reki asked, setting Langa down. 

He nodded. “In the drawers next to my desk. 2nd one.”

Reki dug around and eventually pulled out a white box with a red cross on it. He pulled out tweezers, a bottle of ointment soaked cotton, and a roll of bandages.

“Hold still.” He grabbed Langa’s cheeks and patted his wounds with the cloth. Even though Langa winced and yelped, Reki continued. When he finished, he patched them up with the bandages until Langa’s face looked like a quilt.

Reki tucked the first aid kit away and sat across from Langa on his bed. “So what did you want to say to me?” He crossed his arms, ready to hear some half-assed apology. 

Instead, Langa tightened his fists. “How long?”

“What?”

“How long did people make fun of you like that?”

Reki scratched the back of his head. “I mean no one said anything to my face, but it was just… implications. Both at S and at school. It’s been happening for a few days before our fight.”

“Really?” Langa got back up.

“Wait, Langa, where are you going?” Reki asked.

“I’m going to go finish beating up the guys who made fun of you.”

“Why?”

“Because I wasn’t there to help, and I didn’t pay attention to how you were feeling and…” their promise echoed in Langa’s head. _Don’t be reckless._ Langa slumped onto his bed. “And I’m doing it again, aren’t I?”

Reki stared at his knees. “Why? Why do you keep acting like this?”

“Reki…” Langa’s organs twisted.

“Langa, you keep doing whatever the hell you want, but what about me? Why don’t you pay attention to me anymore? You’re so cool and skilled and flashy, but I’m just… not. All of you are. It’s to where I’m not a good match to anyone anymore. So why?” Reki looked up with tear-stained eyes. “Why don’t you want to stay with me?”

Langa’s heart sank. On instinct, he shot forward and wrapped his arms around Reki, pulling him as tight as he could. “I never meant to leave you!”

Reki scoffed. “That’s your excuse?”

“No, I’m not gonna try to excuse myself for breaking our promise because I can’t. What I can say is that I should’ve looked out for you more and I’m sorry that I didn’t.”

“Even if you did. That doesn’t change the fact that I’m not as skilled as you. I’ve been skateboarding for years while you’ve been for a few months, and you’re already so much better than me. You can fly and I’m stuck in the ground.”

Langa pressed his forehead against Reki’s. “No. There’s so much you can do that I can’t.”

“Like what?”

“Who broke their arm to defend Miya’s honour? Who made my board? Who stood up to Adam in the first place? That wasn’t me. That was you, Reki. I’m reckless, but you’re so much more than that. You’re brave. When you go out and do things, you have a reason to and that’s so admirable even now.” 

Reki looked down. His mouth trembled and his body twitched. “Why do you like hanging out with me? Everywhere we went, even before our fight, you were always the center of attention. You can touch the stars on your first try, but I can’t on my hundredth.”

Langa clasped Reki’s hand and looked up. “But you’re the reason why I want to!”

Blood rushed to Reki’s head. “What the? What are you talking about?”

Langa swallowed a ball of lead. “Reki ...” he took a deep breath and smiled. “Reki Kyan, you motivate me. Before I saw you at S, everything was bleak, but when I saw you, all of that changed. You lit up my world, Reki.” 

Reki looked away. “S-So what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I like you.” he cupped Reki’s face. “And not just as a friend, but as someone I wanna be with. I wanna hug you, kiss you, date you and-”

Reki slapped his hand around Langa’s mouth. “How?” He clenched his fists. His voice was quiet. “How can you say that?”

“What?” Langa’s eyes sank into his head. He was being honest, so why did it turn out like this?

“Is that really all I am to you? Am I just some cheerleader that roots for you all day long?” Reki shot up. 

“Reki…” Langa said, mixed with a sob. Once again, words burbled inside him but no matter how he tried, they refused to come out.

Reki pursed his lips and looked away. “Look, Langa, I just… I’m not rejecting your feelings, but I’m not accepting them either. I… I need some time to think.” He opened the door, its creaking deafening them both. “I’ll… see you at school tomorrow.” His face twisted in some sort of way. Anger? Fear? Disgust? Whatever it was burned into Langa’s head. Besides, how could he forget it? 

It was the same face he made after their big fight.

Langa curled up. “Yeah …” 

When Reki left the house, Langa fell to his bed and sank into his sheets. He looked up at his ceiling; the air sitting on his chest. He played the past few minutes in his head. 

“I like you, Reki,” he said to the air and closed his eyes.

 _Really?_ He imagined Reki back in his room, a bright smile plastered on his face. God, how he missed that smile. Reki’s cheeky cross legged position, hands clasped together, and the unrelenting passion in every word he said. All of it formed before Langa. 

“Yeah, I really like you and I’m so sorry I hurt in all those ways.”

_It’s okay, Langa. I like you too, and I forgive you._

“You do, so can we date?”

_Of course!_

When the Reki in his head wrapped his arms around him, Langa opened his eyes, returning to the darkness of his room. A chill wind replaced the voice he longed to hear. A cold rang through his upper body, the kind that came when something warm leaves. Langa reached out to the air in front of him. He hugged himself, still pretending Reki was in front of him.

Salty tears streamed from his eyes, dripping onto his arms, clothes, and even the bed. Tiny sobs broke out in his mouth as he trembled. “Reki, I’m so sorry.”

Langa greeted the morning as wide-eyed as he was throughout the night. After losing Reki a third time, he couldn’t sleep at all. Even as his alarm blared in his ear, he didn’t want to get up, not even to turn it off.

Suddenly, his bedroom door swung open, and his mom, Nanako, entered. She wore a pinkish blouse and pencil skirt. “Langa! Your alarm’s been going off for 10 minutes! What are you-” when she laid eyes on her boy, her face sank? “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Langa sat up, his head ringing. 

“What happened to your face? You aren’t getting bullied, are you?”

“No, no. I just fell off my skateboard and,” he thought back to his fight at S and how stupid it really was, “Actually, can I tell you something?”

“Really? Of course.” Nanako sat at Langa’s feet. Though she kept a smile on her face, her heart ran around in her chest. 

“Mom… I took your advice, being honest with the person I like, and I still messed up. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Nanako brushed his hair. “Oh, honey, what happened?”

Langa looked away. “I confessed, but I may have said something wrong and they said they needed time to think. I think they hate me now.”

As Langa spoke, Nanako only smiled. “I’ve been there before. You think about what you said over and over and over again and reach the worst-case scenario.”

“How did you know?”

Nanako reached for a picture of Oliver on Langa’s desk. “Because that’s how it was with your father and I. When I first confessed, he needed some time before we actually started dating.”

Langa stared at the door, Reki’s unknowable gaze sparking in his head. With those twisted eyes and slightly grit mouth, Langa shuddered. “I don’t think I’ll end up like you and dad. I think-no-I know they hate me now.”

“Are you sure?” Nanako gave her son a hug. “This person was your friend, right?”

Langa looked back at his and Reki’s relationship. All their months together glued to the hip and when he first fell for Reki back during that moment in Reki’s shed. “Yeah,” he said with a smile.

“Then be a little considerate of how they’re feeling. Don’t assume everything, otherwise you’ll only end up hurting each other.”

Langa curled up again. “But how do I know what to say? What if I end up hurting them again cause I don’t know what they’re thinking?”

Nanako shrugged. “Then ask them and take the time to listen. It’s a lot easier than you think.”

Silence hovered between them. Langa played scenarios in his head, trying to imagine one where Reki would forgive, but in all of them, he only ended up rejected or hurt.

Finally, Nanako cut through the silence and asked, “What’s he like?”

Langa flinched. “Eh?! He?”

“You know, the boy that you’ve been talking about. What’s he like? What’s his name?”

His head burst into flames. “I-I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, come on. You didn’t say it was her the other night at dinner.”

“Oh…” Langa dropped his face into his hands.

“Besides, I heard some voices last night and when I went to check it out, I saw a boy leave your room.”

“W-We didn’t do anything last night!” he screamed almost in a last-ditch effort to convince his mom he was straight or, at the very least, still a virgin.

Nanako chuckled. “You make me laugh.” She patted Langa on the head, giving him a warm smile. “You still didn’t answer my question. Who’s this mystery boy and what’s he like?”

Langa grinned and thought about Reki. “Reki is… beautiful. When he talks, it’s like music. His smile is fiery and warm. Even when he walks, his passion for life and everything around him is there. He’s usually honest with his feelings, or at least I think he is. He even broke his arm to defend someone’s honour. Whenever I look at him, I don’t know how to describe it. His shining face, laid back smirk, overwhelming kindness, all of him is… infinite.” He swooned, once again imagining Reki standing in front of him.

Nanako, grazing his injured cheek, spoke in a calm voice. “Then don’t sit here feeling sorry for yourself. If he needs time, give it to him but don’t push him away.”

“Okay.” With his mom’s words in mind, he quickly got himself ready for school, showering, getting dressed, and eating as fast as he could.

When he got to school, he ran through the halls and thrust his class’ door open. “I’m here!” He panted with a smile because school meant Reki. He looked around the sea of brown and black hair, but finding a lack of red, his smile dwindled.

“Ah good morning Langa, you’re lucky I was a little late myself so I’ll excuse your tardiness this time. Why don’t you have a seat?”

“Oh… of course.” He trudged to his seat at the back, glaring at the empty seat beside him. He rested his head on his hand and blankly stared forward. _Maybe he’ll show up during lunch._

When the time came, he took to the roof and waited. He placed his lunch in front of him and stared at the door, waiting for the moment it would open and Reki would come to greet him.

But he never came.

As the blue sky turned orange, Langa drove his scooter to Dope Sketch. Its short palm trees swayed in the same wind blowing Langa’s hair about. From the window, Oka managed the cashier at the shop’s pet fox sat at his side. 

Langa held his broken board at his side and parked his scooter. “Hello?” he asked, entering the shop. 

“Langa!” Oka jolted, the fox on his shoulder jumping with him. “What are you doing here?” He started to sweat.

“Is Reki here?”

“Nope!” he replied a little too quickly. He leaned on the wall and his fox seemed as stiff as he did. “I mean today isn’t your shift so …” 

“Yeah, but I just need to see Reki.”

“You two got into an argument, right? Did you come to apologize?”

Langa pouted. “No, I mean yes er- What I mean is that I just want to give Reki space. I told him some… things, and I’m afraid that he might end up avoiding me again. What should I do?”

Oka eyed something in the back before turning back to Langa. “Well, if I were you, I’d run up to that boy and give him a big hug to show how sorry I am.”

The image sounded appealing at first, but considering he tried that and it only led to something worse; he decided against. “That won’t work. I just want to show him how much he means to me but I also don’t want to pressure him.”

Oka and the fox shared a soft look. “So why did you come? Just another stop on scavenger hunt?”

“No, I also came to give him this.” He put his broken board on the counter with some wooden pieces. “He made it himself, so I thought it should go back to him now that it’s broken.”

“Does that mean you’re also here to buy a new board?”

Langa shook his head. “I’m actually glad Reki’s not here cause I don’t want him to see how bad I messed up. Honestly, I think I rely on him too much. Now, if it’s not the board Reki made, I can’t skateboard at all. If it’s like this, I might end up having to quit S.”

Something crashed in the back, metal flying and wheels spinning. 

Langa tilted his head. “What was that?”

Oka nervously swatted the air. “Uh, nothing. A shelf probably just fell down or something.”

“Oh, okay.” Langa pouted. “Anyway, remember to give the board to Reki but don’t tell him I asked about him.”

“Got it. I’ll see you around, Langa.”

“Okay, bye.” Langa left the shop, letting the door bell speak for him.

When Langa drove away, Oka turned around. “You can come out, Reki.”

Reki popped out from a pile of knocked over wood and unpainted skateboards. His hair stuck out in different directions and he panted. “Holy crap, Langa …”

Oka nodded. “That’s right, he really cares about you and-”

“He’s an idiot! How did he not know I was here?” he paced the floor. “Did he ignore me or was he genuinely unaware that I was here? Or maybe-”

Before Reki could continue his ramble, Oka flicked him on the forehead. Reki reeled back and yelped. “Ow! What? What was that for?”

“Reki, you’re like a son to me so I’m gonna be honest with you right now, you’re full of shit.”

“Huh?” Reki tilted his head.

“Langa’s trying to reach out to you and here you are hiding from him. You even skipped school for this. Don’t you think you’re taking this a little too far?”

Reki pouted and crossed his arms. “It’s not that simple.” He tapped his foot and stared at the broken board. He grabbed the pieces and matched them together, bringing the little Yeti he drew back together. With its little monotone frown, he looked exactly like Langa, teasing a smile on Reki’s face he forced out. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

Oka sighed. “Teenagers. Langa cares about you, so I don’t see why you can’t just make up.”

“Like I said, it’s not that simple. You don’t understand what’s going on between us.”

“But _I_ might,” a catty voice said behind Reki.

Reki flinched and whipped around. Before him stood a short boy with black hair combed into a three-part bang. With his sailor schoolboy uniform and hat, he looked like an angel, but his devilish smirk and catty eyes wrecked that image immediately. 

“M-Miya?” Reki asked.

“Long time no see,” the little boy said, voice grit.

Miya crossed his arms and approached Reki. Usually, despite being a foot shorter, Miya’s aura would’ve loomed over him, but this time, something was different. His steps were soft and his posture slightly hunched. His eyes were a bit red and his cheeks flushed. When he got to Reki, he punched him in the stomach, but his strike wasn’t hard at all. “You’re an idiot.”

Reki guarded himself against any future hits. “So you came all this way just to insult me?”

“Yes. Turns out golems don’t exactly have brains.”

Reki pouted. “Okay, now you’re just not making any sense. Why’d you come here? To tell me about the beefs I’m missing down at S? Or that I’m gonna miss your sweet wins?”

Miya groaned. “I don’t care about that anymore. What I care about is this!” He pointed at Reki as if he were about to shoot a gun. “You and Langa have been fighting for too long. You need to make up. Now!”

“Why? Because Langa needs his cheerleader to do well in S?”

“No, because you are friends damn it, and if you keep this pity party going, very soon you won’t be!” Miya crossed his airs. “Do you know how long Langa’s been looking for you? He misses his best friend, but if you’re not willing to be there for him, at least give him the courtesy of dismantling your party instead of leaving him hanging. Why are you even avoiding him in the first place?”

Reki balled up his fists. “Because we aren’t a good match anymore.” The shop went silent. “Before Langa raced against Adam, skating with him was our thing. A few months ago, we’d skate around the school and run from the teachers together. I know it seems like such a short time, but with how different our abilities got, he got so good, I can’t keep up. Now, I think it’ll be best if I just stay away from him. That way he can shine all by himse-”

“Shut up!” Before Reki finished, Miya slapped him across the face. “I hate people like that!”

“Uh OW! What the hell was that for?”

“Langa might be better than you at skateboarding, so what? Is that really all you based your relationship on? Skateboarding? Do you really think so little of Langa that only one thing about him matters? Does your difference in skill mean you hate him now?”

Reki laughed and shook his head. “Hate him? No, I don’t. Even after all he said and did, I could never hate him because…” his smile trembled, “I love him. I love him enough to want him to keep going, even if I can’t follow.”

Miya sighed. “Can’t say I didn’t see that coming. But that’s not the point. If you love him, why are you still avoiding him?”

“It’s because I don’t think I’m worthy to stand next to him. Langa can do all of these amazing things, but I can’t. I’m stuck in the same little rut while he can be as infinite as he wants. He can fly, but I can’t.”

Miya walked over to the counter and looked at the broken skateboard. He traced his finger over the yeti’s broken hand and scratched out eyes. “Does Langa know you feel this way?”

Reki tensed. “Uh no…” 

“Then tell him.” Miya leaned on the counter. 

“I-I can’t do that.”

“Why?”

“Cause it’s scary.”

“Why?”

“I mean… it’s Langa. I can’t just tell him all of this.”

“Why?”

Reki groaned and hunched over. “Please stop doing that.”

A catty grin emerged on Miya’s face as he hopped onto the counter. “Why?” he snickered. “Really, Reki, I’m being serious. Why is it so scary to just tell your friend how you feel?”

Reki stayed quiet. Hearing those words only brought back images of last night when he left Langa’s room so coldly. “It’s because I’m scared that I might end up treating Langa the way he treats me. I don’t want us to rely on each other. I want us to shine on our own so if I want to be Langa’s friend, I have to prove myself first.”

Miya pouted. “Aw, that is… the absolute worst sentiment I’ve ever heard.”

“Huh? I pour my heart out to you and you’re still making fun of me.”

“Yeah because you’re an idiot.” Miya crossed his leg. “If you ask me, I’d say it’s amazing Langa relies on you. That doesn’t mean he thinks less of you, it means he’s happy when he sees you and trusts you. And if you’re so scared of Langa leaving you behind by becoming too good, there’s a simple solution.”

“And what’s that?”

Miya leaned forward, looking into Reki’s wide eyes. “Ask him for help. Langa’s your friend. He loves skateboarding with you, probably more than you do with him. So if he heard you wanted his help, he’d be happy to and god knows that he’d be more than willing if you just ask.” He pouted and stared into space. The shop’s fox sat next to him, its ear drooping and tail going limp.

Reki rubbed his arm. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

“Excuse me?!” Miya jumped off the desk. “How long are you going to wait cause it’s been days!” 

“It’s not that easy, Miya. Besides, this problem doesn’t concern you. It’s about the promise Langa and I made.”

Miya slammed his foot on the ground. “Well then, what about the promise you made me?!” He wiped his eyes. “You promised you wouldn’t disappear from my sight yet here you are.” A tear dropped from his eye. “You were the first person who ever stayed with me even after I tried to push you away, but now you’re acting like none of that matters! You taught me that there’s more to skateboarding than just the board; that I could make friends and find people who legitimately care about me and now you’re here, so apparently you’ve backtracked all the way to the tutorial. Actually, you know what, I’m done.” Miya shoved the shop’s door open. 

“Miya, where are you going?”

He looked back with a glare. “News flash, you idiot golem, friends rely on each other. And if you’re not willing to be friends with Langa, then tell him that. Either way, stop wallowing in self-pity and talk to him about… something!” 

The door slammed so hard, the shop’s bell fell off, ringing as it rolled in a circle. Miya stomped away, his footsteps muffled against the glass. The shop’s fox nuzzled Reki’s shoulder, but that did little to drown out Miya’s words still dancing in his head.

Meanwhile, Oka carefully walked out from the back. “That Miya kid… he’s scary.”

Reki looked at the ground, playing Miya’s speech over and over in his head. “No. He’s right. Wallowing too much will get me nowhere.” He grabbed his skateboard and flipped on his bag, much to Oka’s surprise.

“R-Reki! Where are you going?”

Reki gripped his skateboard. “I’m going to find Langa. I have some things to tell him.”

As Reki prepared to leave the shop, Miya turned the corner. He basked in the shadows, savouring the clicking and clacking of the shop door. Reki hopped onto his skateboard and headed off. 

Meanwhile, Miya gestured for someone to leave the shadows, Langa.

“Was this really necessary?” He almost stepped out to call out to Reki, but Miya pulled him back. 

“Of course. If I hadn’t stepped in, you might’ve never gotten the chance to get together again.” Miya looked away and sniffled.

Langa stepped forward. “Are you okay?” He noted Miya’s slightly puffy eyes and reddish nose. “Wait, were you crying?”

Miya flinched. “N-No! Shut up and go talk to your boyfriend. You’re lucky I ran into you two here.”

“Lucky? Why were you here in the first place?”

Hearing that, Miya’s face burned, and his ears turned red. “R-Reasons. Don’t get it twisted, I didn’t come to make you two up. I just came to… get my skateboard fixed.” He walked off until Langa noticed Miya’s bare hands.

Langa looked at Miya, finding him with just his bag and sailor hat. “But you didn’t bring your skateboard.”

Miya froze and scooted back, his head aimed at the ground. Langa braced himself for a snark or a dig, but was instead met with a tiny sob. “Geez, you two are more clueless than I thought.” When he looked up, his eyes glistened. “You promised you wouldn’t leave me alone, so will you stop camping already?”

As a single tear fell down Miya’s cheek, Langa patted his head. “Don’t worry, Miya. I promise you, I’ll tell him everything today.” He headed to his scooter and put on his helmet.

“Wait, where are you going?” Miya asked.

Langa revved his scooter, the vehicle rumbling under him. “To where it all began. Where I realized just how important skateboarding and Reki were to me.”

Miya stared blankly. “That doesn’t exactly answer my-”

 _SCREECH!_ Twisting through roads and corners, Langa zipped as fast as he could. In his head, he played his lines over and over again. What could he say? What he could do to prove to Reki that he wasn’t just some support? Something to show how much Reki meant to him. 

Flowers? Chocolates? There wasn’t enough time to get anything. By the time he realized he didn’t even have his wallet, he arrived at the skatepark. 

The same old bright orange half pipes sat at its side. A warm wind billowed around the painted sky. In the centre of the park stood the most beautiful boy in the world. 

He stared off into the distance. His hair danced like a warm flame as wind flew through his classic baggy sweater and pants. He tapped his foot on the ground, matching Langa’s racing heartbeat. 

On instinct, Langa parked his scooter, put down his helmet, and ran into the park. His voice burbled under his tongue until he couldn’t hold it in anymore and screamed, “REKI!”

The beautiful boy turned around, amber eyes widened and soft. “Langa?” Even with Reki’s voice so light and quiet, it pierced his heart. 

Langa swallowed his words and clutched his chest. “Reki, I-”

“Hold it!” Reki held his hand out, pausing Langa. “If we’re gonna talk, I’d like to say stuff first.”

“Uh… okay.” Langa flinched as Reki started storming towards him, head aimed at the ground. He prepared himself for any potential words Reki might throw at him. Insults, shifting blame, yelling. He was ready for all of it.

What he wasn’t ready for was a hug.

“R-Reki?!” Langa yelped, the air whipping out of him. 

Reki only pulled himself tighter, sinking into Langa’s shirt. “I’m sorry,” he said, the words echoing through Langa’s body. “I’m so sorry I avoided you and acted like I hated you.”

Langa bit his tongue. He wanted nothing more than to prove those words wrong, but he promised to listen and he would not break a new promise so soon.

“I’ll admit, when we first fought, for a brief moment, I hated you, but then I realized, I was just frustrated with myself. The truth is, I wanna be with you Langa. I wanna skate by your side forever, but you’re just so good at everything, it’s hard. And when you said that you wanted to skate with Adam, it hurt. Not just because it would mean you might get injured, but because it would mean you don’t care about my feelings; how scared I get that I might lose you to him. But now I realized I’m just taking out my anger on you. I’m sorry.” Reki trembled against Langa’s chest.

Langa’s heart sank. “Reki? Can I talk now?” Sweat beaded down his back.

Reki nodded, dragging his hair across Langa’s shirt.

Everything Langa kept inside, all the words unspoken, poured out before him. He wrapped his arms around Reki so hard he tackled them both to the ground. Even then, he didn’t feel the pain of concrete on his skin, only the warmth of having Reki back in his grasp. 

“You have nothing to apologize for!” he yelled. “None of this was your fault! I’m the one who didn’t pay attention to you. I’m the one who didn’t make sure you felt loved. I’m… I’m the one who broke our promise, not you!” Word after word, his feelings poured out. “When I skated against Joe, I felt nothing. Even with the amazing tricks he pulled, it just wasn’t exciting at all. And then you showed up. When I saw you in the crowd, that’s when I felt it again. The same pitter patter in my heart. It was never skating that made me excited, it was sharing it with someone who loved it just as much as I did.”

Reki met Langa’s gaze. “So what? Skating isn’t the same without me?” he said with a weak half-smile.

Langa shook his head. “No. Life isn’t. Food doesn’t taste the same, classes aren’t as fun anymore, and even the wind feels colder if I can’t feel you touch me. Reki, you’re so warm I didn’t realize I forgot what it felt like to be cold. And it’s not just me who misses you. It’s also-”

“-Miya,” they said at the same time.

Both of them chuckled and looked away. When Langa fixed his gaze back on Reki beneath him, both of them realized how close they actually were in that moment. There Reki laid out, eyes eclipsed by his wide smile. The small bits of laughter coming from him chimed like music. Small strands of hair framed his sharp face, glued and darkened by musky sweat. Other strands of red flared out against the floor.

Meanwhile, to Reki, Langa looked just like the moon. His pale skin reflected the orange sunset. His loose hair dangled down his face and his bright blue eyes shimmered in the light. 

Like this, it overwhelmed Langa. He fell into Reki’s chest. “Reki… I miss you. I know I told you I liked you and that I’m willing to give you time to come up with a response, but I don’t want to avoid you either. So in the meantime, can we at least skate together again?”

Reki scratched his cheek. “Um… we can do more than skateboarding if you want.”

Langa shot up. “Huh?”

“Look, I just… um… it’s…” Reki’s face turned red, and he pulled his headband down to hide his eyes, “it’s so embarrassing.” Reki sat up, signalling Langa to do the same.

Once they sat crossed legged and opposite of each other, Reki fidgeted with his nails. His shoulders rotated and his knees bobbed up and down. All the while, he stared at the ground.

After a thousand years of silence, Reki grabbed his pants. “C-Can you …” 

“Can I?” Langa leaned in closer, eyes growing wider.

“Can you… t-t-t-” Reki swallowed and looked away again.

“Can I what? Can I what?!” At this point, Langa was getting impatient.

Finally, Reki thrust his head up. “Can you teach me how you jumped so high?!”

Langa froze. “Teach you?”

“It’s just… you can do so many great things, you’re good at soccer, you’re popular everywhere, and you’re just so damn cool. People have murmured that I’m just your sidekick and I don’t want to be. So can you teach me how to do what you do? So I can be enough?”

“Who told you this?!” Langa cupped Reki’s cheeks.

Reki darted his eyes to the side. “Uh… no one in particular.” His speech was slightly muffled until Langa let go. “Just random S skaters, people at school, and stuff. Don’t worry about it.”

“Well, I will. Because people like that don’t realize how amazing you are. I swear for every one reason they don’t think you’re good enough, I can name a hundred why you’re the coolest.”

Reki rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right?”

Meanwhile, Langa puffed his cheeks and took a deep breath. “Number one: you make me smile every time I see you, number two: you made L2S just for me, number three: you raced against Adam and showed Miya that people will stay by him even when he’s alone, number four: You broke your arm to protect Miya’s honour, number five: whenever I ask you questions about Japan, you get a little standoffish but your reactions are all so cute, number six-”

As Langa continued listing off random things Reki did, a smile slowly crept onto his face. Hearing how such little things made Langa so happy made him feel both embarrassed and proud. Langa kept going until Reki finally keeled over and bawled out laughing. “Okay, okay, that’s enough.” He wiped a tear from his eye. 

“But I still have,” he counted on his fingers, “87 more reasons to go.”

Reki snickered. “You know, there’s an easier way to say all of that without us being here for an hour.”

“What?”

“How about we make a promise?” he said with a shrug. “A new one.”

“And what would the promise be about?”

“It’s simple, really. If we have issues, we’ll talk and listen. Can you promise me that?” 

Langa smiled and put out his pinky. “Of course.”

Reki snickered. “Again with the pinky? Come on.”

Langa looked at pinky for a second before realizing what Reki was talking about. “Oh, right!” They high-fived but when Langa went in for a fist bump, Reki instead grabbed Langa’s shirt and pulled him close.

“This is how grown-ups do it.” Before Langa could respond, Reki kissed him on the cheek.

Flames burst in Langa’s head. Steam hissed out of his ears and his mouth went dry. “R-R-R-R-REKI?!” He grabbed his cheek as if to keep Reki’s kiss stuck to it.

Reki giggled. “That’s my answer.” His smile was even wider, just like when he finished making the L2S.

“Your what?”

“My answer.”

Langa continued to stare blankly at Reki, looking around as if he was reading invisible equations. "Answer to what?"

Reki sighed and patted him on the head. “Do I really have to spell it out for you?”

“Ah… sorry,” Langa spoke quietly and laid his head down.

“Fine, then.” Reki kissed him on one of his bandaged bruises. “It means I like you too, you idiot.”

Langa’s mouth trembled. His eyes glistened until glittering tears fell down his face. His fingers grew icy as his heart caught fire. He launched forward and pulled Reki into a hug and screamed, “Reki!” As they fell to the ground, Langa wiped his eyes on Reki’s shirt. “I’m so sorry for hurting you. ”

Reki smiled and raised Langa’s chin. “It’s okay, but damn you have to stop tackling me.”

Both of them snickered and met each other’s gaze. Here, Langa once again got a good look at Reki. Even with his beautiful face, the only thing Langa could look at was his smile.

That smile. That smile that disappeared for days finally showed up again. Like the sun after a rainy night, it came back. And Langa wanted to savour it as much as he could.

“Reki…” Langa cupped the boy's cheek, tracing lines with his thumb.

“Langa…” Reki grabbed the back of Langa’s neck and dragged him down.

For a single moment, their lips came together. Nerves fired and limbs went numb. When they parted, they briefly stared at each other. Reki’s entire face went as red as his now messed up hair. Langa’s cheeks turned as pink as the sunset behind him. However, both of them shared the same thought.

_More._

They pulled each other close and kissed even harder. Langa’s legs went numb, but all he felt was Reki on him, savouring his sweetness. When they parted for air, he adjusted himself, placing one of his knees right between Reki’s legs. 

Similarly, Reki ran his fingers up Langa’s back and ran through his hair. His back arched as Langa came in closer and closer. 

With every suck on his lips and swirl of their tongues, Reki’s body burned hotter and hotter. His heart fluttered inside him to where it almost shot out of his chest. All of his limbs shut down, his entire body focusing on Langa and Langa alone.

Goosebumps emerged on Langa’s skin. Every time Reki so much as grazed him, he wanted to kiss him even harder. For a thousand years, they stayed like that, completely immersed in each other, the faint squawks of seagulls drowned out by their light moans.

They parted one last time, Langa panting right over Reki. “R-Reki…” he said, as if to ask for more.

“Langa…” Reki swallowed. His voice was hoarse, lips slightly swollen. “I don’t… I don’t think I can do this anymore.”

“Eh!” Langa snapped back, the right side of his hair flared out. “Wait, so you don’t want to date me?”

“What? No, I didn’t it mean it that way.” Reki’s limbs waggled about. “I just meant that if you kiss me that hard more, you’re going to suffocate me. Besides,” he fidgeted with his hand, “I really, _really_ liked it.”

Langa smiled. “I’m glad you did.” He slowly rose and offered Reki his hand. “Can you stand up?”

Reki shrugged. “I don’t know. I can barely feel my legs right now.” He took Langa’s hand and, even with a bit of trembling, he stood on his own.

As soon as they both looked at each other, they turned away. Memories of what they just did played in their heads repeatedly. 

Reki scratched the back of his neck and stared at the sky. “S-So… what do you wanna do now?”

Langa looked off into the distance, hands tucked into his pocket. They’ve been there so long. The orange sunset melted with purple. “Um… maybe we can just watch the sunset?”

“Yeah! That sounds good,” Reki yelped, fidgeting with his fingertips. 

They climbed the ramp and sat awkwardly away from each other. Their hands were still so close they almost touched. They stared into the orange sky, but that did little to sooth the tension between them.

“S-So…” Langa said, attempting to break the silence.

“So…” Reki continued, rubbing his neck. He swallowed, trailing his finger over the ramp where he first taught Langa skateboarding.

 _Skateboarding?_ He looked at the still avoidant Langa. _That’s right, he still has the tournament tonight._ “Hey can, I ask you a question?”

“Sure, anything.”

“Are you still going to that tournament tonight? I know that-”

“No,” Langa exclaimed. His eyes flared with determination.

“Huh?”

“I said I’m not going to do it. If I go tonight, I’m gonna have to go against Adam eventually and I don’t want to break our promise again. Besides,” he grabbed Reki’s hand, “I wanna spend the night with my boyfriend first.”

Reki’s face flushed pink as he pressed his forehead against Langa’s. “Geez, you’re hopeless.” They shared another kiss before they laid back and looked up to the sky.

There, they did what they’ve put off for days, talk. They talked and talked. Not just about their feelings, but about their pasts, presents, and futures. About what they liked and disliked. What they wanted to be and what they dreamed about.

Time flew by around them. Even as the wind became colder and the sun faded away, their conversations only grew. 

As Reki talked about how he first realized he was bisexual and liked both guys and girls, Langa looked up to see the sky swirling with stars.

“Ah, Reki look!” Langa pointed at the night sky. “You can see Leo from down here.”

“Leo?” he squinted at the stars. “I don’t see it.”

“It’s all the way _over_ there!” he pointed at a small cluster. “See where those stars kinda look like a trapezoid with a hook on top?”

Reki continued squinting. “Kinda… oh wait, now I do. So where’s the rest of it?”

“That is the rest of it.”

“What?" His jaw dropped. "I’ve read my horoscope a couple of times. Last I checked, lions aren’t trapezoids with hooks on them.”

Langa shrugged. “I’m not sure why it's like that either, but stargazing with my parents after a long day of snowboarding was always one of my favourite things to do. It really made the world feel so much bigger than just Canada.”

“Really…” Reki looked up too. Deep shades of purple, dark blue, and white swirled about, dotted with twinkling stars. As he stared in silence, S glowed in the distance. 

He imagined what could happen there, and especially what was happening with Adam. Just the thought of his face was enough to make him shudder. “Langa, why did you choose me?”

“What?” Langa sat up. 

“No, it’s just Adam is so much better than I am. I mean you said it yourself that he’s exciting so what does that mean for us?”

Langa grabbed Reki’s hand. “Sure, I’ll give Adam that he’s exciting to skate with, but that’s it. Aside from skating, I know nothing about him and, frankly, I don’t want to. His skills may be ever-increasing, but that’s one aspect of him. With you, you’re so much more. Reki, to me, you’re infinite.”

“Heh, thanks.” He yawned. “But I think I should get home soon. It’s getting late and I haven’t been sleeping well.”

“Actually, can you…” Langa shook his head, “nevermind, it’s stupid.” His ears turned pink, and he looked away.

“Can I what?”

Langa rubbed his hands. “I was wondering if maybe you’d like to sleep over today.”

“Can I?” Reki zipped to Langa’s side with twinkling eyes. “I’ve never slept over at a friend’s house before. Can I really?”

“Yeah. We’ll just have to talk to my mom first. Come on.”

Both of them slid down the ramp and bolted to Langa’s scooter. Langa eagerly put on his helmet and gave Reki his spare. As they rode down to Langa’s house, Reki called his mom.

“Hello?” his mom asked.

“Hi mom, I’m not coming home tonight.”

“Oh? And where are you going?”

“I’m gonna be staying at Langa’s.”

“I see. It’s nice to know that you have such a delightful friend, Reki. Have a good night.”

Reki smiled. “Okay. Good night.” When he hung up, he leaned into Langa’s ear. “Did you hear? I got the green light to stay!”

“That’s good, but there’s something I have to tell you that might make you staying here a little complicated.” Langa pulled up to his driveway and stopped his engine. He took both of their helmets. “The thing is that my mom knows I have a crush on you.”

Reki flinched. “She does? How? Did you tell her?”

“I mean, yes. But she knew it was you cause she saw you leave my room that night.”

“Oh.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Can’t believe I’m meeting my boyfriend’s mom before I met my best friend’s mom.”

“Wait, but I’m both.” Langa pointed at himself and narrowed his eyes.

“Nevermind. What I mean is that I’m excited to meet your mom,” he said with shaky knees and sweaty palms.

Langa parked the scooter and led Reki towards his front door. There, he noticed his front light was on. With a deep breath, he opened the door and said, “Mom, I’m home.”

Something in the kitchen slammed shut and Nanako came shortly after, holding her hands behind her back. “Langa, why were you out so la-” she froze when made eye contact with Reki. “Oh… hello.”

Reki awkwardly waved his hand, trying to stand as straight as possible. “Hello, Mrs Hasegawa.”

“Mom, this is Reki Kyan,” Langa wrapped his arm around Reki’s shoulder, “and he’s my boyfriend.”

Blood rushed to Reki’s head. “Wait, so you’re just gonna say it like that? No buildup?”

"Why? I mean she knows about you so why not tell it how it is?"

Nanako snickered. “Don’t you worry. Langa’s told me all about you. He went on and on this morning about how beautiful you are.”

Langa turned pink. “Mom!”

"Oh, so now you're embarrassed?" Reki bumped him with his elbow.

“In any case," Nanako cleared her throat, "what are you doing here? It's pretty late.”

Reki scratched the back of his neck. “Well, I was wondering if you would be so kind as to let me sleepover.”

Nanako cupped her cheek. “I’m sorry. I wish you could, but we don’t have an extra futon.”

“That’s okay. Reki can just sleep in my bed with me.”

“Huh?!” Reki and Nanako exclaimed.

Reki’s heart ran laps in his chest. “D-Don’t you think you’re going a little too fast?”

“Why? I mean, we’ve slept together on the train before. I once fell asleep on your lap.”

“Yeah, but this is a bed and besides, we were just friends then. Now that we’re dating, sharing a bed will have some,” he darted his eyes at Nanako, “implications. I just don’t want your mom to get the wrong idea of me.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Nanko said, face flushed with blood and voice shaky. “You’re your own people, so who am I to judge? I am fully on board with this situation and I want you to know that you two are enough,” her voice sounded a bit robotic as if she were auditioning for a play, but Langa simply smiled and nodded.

“Thanks, mom.” He went to the stairs, leaving Reki and his mom together. 

“Thank you for taking care of my son,” she said with a bow.

“No, you have it wrong,” he looked at the stairs, imagining Langa's beautiful face still there and smiled, “Langa’s been taking care of me.”

“Well, whatever it is, I can’t thank you enough. Before Langa took up skateboarding, he was very listless, only focused on getting a job. But now, he really smiles, just like he did while his dad was alive. So thank you for being son’s first friend in Okinawa and now, first boyfriend.”

“I-It’s nothing.” Reki scratched his cheek. 

“Now go have some fun in my son’s room while I prepare dinner. Whatever kind of fun you have, know that I support and accept the both of you and I love you unconditionally.”

“Uh, thanks?” Her support was getting weird and a little annoying.

She awkwardly turned around, revealing that, in her hands, was a book called, ‘Parenting gay children 101,’ with sticky notes everywhere. 

Reki smiled and followed Langa to his room. There, Langa picked out a baggy shirt with a beaver mascot on it and sweatpants for Reki to wear. They flowed off his body like giant sails.

After dinner and a bath, Reki and Langa laid in his bed, mere inches from each other. Their shoulders grazed each other every time they breathed. Their shared heat and blanket only made the bed hotter and harder to fall asleep in. Silence hovered over them. Considering what happened last time they were in Langa’s room, the awkwardness only grew.

“So…” Reki flipped over to face Langa, “what do you think Adam is doing right now?”

Langa shrugged. “I don’t know.” His breath smelled like fresh mint. “And I don't really care. The order was supposed to be me vs Shadow then Adam vs Snake so I guess Shadow wins by default.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to go back? If we hurry, maybe we could make it; at least see Shadow.”

“No, I’m sleepy.” He grabbed Reki’s arm. “And I wanna sleep with my boyfriend tonight.”

“You really love that word, don’t you?” Reki teased.

“Yeah, that’s because I love my boyfriend and my boyfriend is you.” He nuzzled on Reki’s arms as if it were a stuffed animal.

Reki patted Langa's soft hair. “I love my boyfriend too.”

The two pulled each other into another kiss before lulling away in each other’s arms. Like this, nothing mattered. No S they were missing, no competitions, and no tournaments. Just a single moment that lasted for infinity.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey,  
> thanks for reading "Skating is infinite, can we be too?" If you came from my TikTok, hello! If you didn't, feel free to follow me there, it's the same @ as my AO3 username. Comments and Kudos are deeply appreciated.  
> Update:   
> I just watched episode 10 and I was right!!!!!! I predicted that:  
> \- Renga would make up in the skate park  
> \- Langa would list off random compliments to Reki and Reki would get super embarrassed by it  
> This was small and a little predictable but the fact it still tracked made me happy


End file.
